Getting down with the Sickness: in search for the cure-all cuppa

Ironic that I spoke of the hibiscus syrup being "medicine" in yesterday's posting because all week I've been feeling a rather "EH," but yesterday night I started really not feeling good: headache, slight chills, some nausea and what I know is a fever but my dinky old electronic Walgreens thermometer swears I do not by  proclaiming me a cool 97.6 degrees F.

Though I wouldn't be surprised at having a naturally low normal temperature (I'm constantly cold), the fact that the highest this thermometer was getting was 98.3 degrees, and then a 99 reading and then back down at 98.2 degrees made me suspicious, so I am borrowing a thermometer tomorrow or having my lovely hubby purchase one for me because in my slight delirious headache-y state I don't think anyone wants me driving.

I will admit to an odd satisfaction at being sick only because it reminds me that I'm alive?  It sucks during the sickness, but afterwards there's a feeling of "Made it through that one!"

Only with the swine flu going around and my having just read fun statistics, I am feeling a wee bit worried.

As I can't do too much except: sleep, read, avoid throwing up and drink tea (and apparently blog some), out of all of those things that I am sure you would care to read about or at least be of interest or use to you would be the drinking tea part because this is where I can at least utilize my herb garden to the dickens.

I have loose and bag tea up the wazoo because I'm a fiend, but I'd like to believe that the fresh stuff straight from the backyard might have "active chemicals" or something that'll really make me feel better and fight this thing.

Tisanes, herbals teas without true Camellia sinesis tea leaves, are pleasant and relatively easy to make unless it's an herb like lemongrass where if you really want the super fragrant thick white bulby part, you have to bludgeon it with an object like a rolling pin.

Something that I am sadly not in the mood or have the energy for today.

No, I'll stick with some easy plucking of lemon balm, and maybe add some of the tropics to it like pineapple sage or mellow it out with bee balm (aka Oswego tea).

Or perhaps some easy yanks of my overgrown mint, either the plain or chocolate variety, though I am not sure I want to be drinking anything that would make me feel potentially cooler as I already have chills.

I started growing catnip (a member of the mint family, though what isn't nearly it seems?) earlier this year and haven't really tried it as a tisane yet, but this is a good time if any.  Supposedly it has a soothing effect, though you might not know from watching its effect on cats.

Same with my scented geraniums (lemon/citronella, ginger, mint and rose), they're edible, why not give them a go?  Their larger leaves would look lovely in the bottom of a cup.

I also do have a green tea plant, but have been very hesitant to use the leaves partially because there always seem to be so few leaves and of the potential let-down I am worried about as it is my understanding that a little processing (steaming/drying) does it good.

Ugh,  I just want it to be easy and pull off some leaves, toss them into my boiling water and be done with it!  So many choices and too much icky feeling...why can't I train the dog in herbalism, give it my currently useless opposable thumbs (after this post at least) and tell it to make me a cuppa???

Worse of all, what's always good when I feel sick is fresh ginger slices (which I am growing, but would have to dig up and wash) boiled with brown sugar.  Ahhhhh....  now that's a panacea.

*looks out window* AND great, it's storming out.